Knightmare
Knightmare was an adventure game show for children. Broadcast ITV: 7 September 1987 – 11 November 1994 Host Treguard of Dunshelm (played by Hugo Myatt) Co-Host (Series 4 – 8 Only) Pickle the Wood Elf (played by David Learner) (Series 4 – 6) Majida the Genie (played by Jackie Sawris) (Last Two Series) Gameplay The Entrance At the start of each game, Treguard (Majida in the last two series) would say, "Enter Stranger!" A child would enter the antechamber; this was the dungeoneer. The dungeoneer called for three advisers (their teammates) to help them with their quest (in the final series, all four of them appeared at once). Needed Items for the Quest and the Life Force To start the quest, the dungeoneer was made to wear The Helmet of Justice; this was said to "protect them from the illusions of the dungeon." In reality, however, it was to keep them from realizing they were in a blue room. This is because the dungeon was computer-generated and handrawn, and appeared with blue-screen technology (making it the world's first ever game show to use it). The dungeoneer was also given a knapsack to place food inside to replenish their Life Force, which was both a clock and progress meter used to keep track of their energy status. It could be reduced by taking too much time, being attacked by monsters and hazards, taking the wrong route, or making bad decisions; however, there were certain traps or pits that caused an instant death, no matter how much was left. The Life Force had three different looks throughout the show's run: * In the first five series, it was an illustration of an adventurer wearing a helmet. When the Force was healthy, the background was green. As it drained away, the helmet would break off piece by piece on an amber background. When the helmet was gone, pieces of skin would break off to reveal a skull (but no blood) on a red background. Finally the skull would crumble away, after which the eyes rolled away past the camera, indicating a death. * In the sixth and seventh series, it was a picture of a walking knight, whose armour would fall off, revealing a skeleton who eventually collapsed, indicating a death. * In the final series, it was a pie, whose slices slowly dissolved. This form was never used to indicate a death. Other items used in the quest included: *'The Eye-Shield' (Series 4 - 8) - By this point the dungeoneer could now explore places "outside the dungeon". So they were given this item to hold in front of their chest so that the advisors could see where they were going. *'Reach' (final series only) - This was a magic wand that allowed the team to do things that they couldn't do normally. Whenever the dungeoneer was in a position to use it, a crosshair would appear where they were pointing it. As soon as it was in the right place, the dungeoneer would press a button, and the thing happened. During the Quest Guidance The team would watch the dungeoneer through a screen in the antechamber and would guide the player through hurried descriptions and shouted instructions, while overcoming a variety of traps and puzzles in the dungeon. Spells At certain points during the quest, the advisors could cast a spell, which gave them an advantage. They did this by saying "Spellcasting" and then spelling the spell's name letter by letter. Spells could also be reversed or stopped by the advisors by saying, "Dispel" and then the letters in a wrong order. Other Objects Sometimes the team would find a table with objects on it. The team would have to carefully choose the objects that they might need for later. In most series, these objects always had to be carried by hand; in the final series, however, they were allowed to be carried in the knapsack. In either case, the team could only carry a maximum of two objects at one time. Levels, Treasures, Travel Modes, and Characters The dungeon had three levels. The object of the quest was to collect items, meet various characters, and (beginning in the second series) get out alive once they found a specific treasure. Sometimes the teams chose one of four treasures to pursue. The choice only affected the first room entered, and the treasure found (this always happened near the end of Level Three). There were a variety of ways to travel through the dungeon; these included wellways, mine cart rides, lifts known as "descenders," and airborne rides on Smirkenorff the Dragon. Other characters in the dungeon included jesters, maids, and wizards, who would help the dungeoneer, and guards, witches, and sorcerers, who demanded something, or simply tried to kill the dungeoneer. End of Quest Teams that died would be eliminated from the game (although they survived in "their own time"), but teams who completed all three levels won awards. In the first three series, the award was a plaque called "The Silver Spurs of Squiredom." This was changed to medallions in the fourth series, and then trophies called "Frightknights," which were of a knight holding a sword, for the rest of the run. End of Series The last team in each series would face an impossible quest, with the dungeon collapsing before the conclusion of it. Trivia Knightmare is often said to be the most difficult children's game show in the world. This is because only eight teams managed to complete their quests in all eight series. Category:Action & Adventure Category:Kid Shows Category:ITV Shows Category:Long-Running Category:1987 premieres Category:1994 endings